The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Virginia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Virginia. In 1841, there were 80 members of the Church. It has since grown to 96,748 members in 216 congregations.
Official church membership as a percentage of general population was 1.13% in 2014. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 2% of Virginians self-identified most closely with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[3] The Church is the 7th largest denomination in Virginia.[4]
History
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 80 |
| 1844 | 350 |
| 1930 | 2,267 |
| 1972 | 22,000 |
| 1980 | 35,485 |
| 1990 | 55,367 |
| 1999 | 66,622 |
| 2009 | 84,876 |
| 2019 | 96,496 |
| Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac State Information: Virginia[1] | |
In 1841, there were some 80 members of the Church in Virginia.[5]
In 1996, a group of Mormon businessmen acquired Southern Virginia College—a two-year private women's college—and turned it into Southern Virginia University, a four-year, coeducational school with a Brigham Young University-like honor code in Buena Vista.[6]
In 2011, Time magazine profiled the large population of singles, or Young Single Adults, in the DC area—including the new 23rd Street Chapel.[7]
In April 2018, church president Russell M. Nelson announced a new temple to be built in Virginia. The first temple of the church to be built in the state, the temple is located in Glen Allen.[8]
Stakes
LDS stakes are groups of congregations. Wards are medium-sized congregations and branches are small congregations.
Stakes are led by a stake presidency (stake president and two counselors, supported by an executive secretary, a stake clerk, and typically four assistant clerks) and a high council of 12 councilors. Stakes also have presidencies for the Stake Relief Society, Young Women, Young Men, Primary, and Sunday School.
Red = Operating temple
Blue = Temple under construction
Yellow = Announced temple
Black = Temple closed for renovations
Red = Operating temple
Blue = Temple under construction
Yellow = Announced temple
Black = Temple closed for renovations
As of August 2023, Virginia had the following stakes:[9][10]
| Stake | Organized | Mission | Temple District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annandale Virginia Stake | 26 Apr 1970 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Ashburn Virginia Stake | 29 Jan 1995 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Buena Vista Virginia Stake | 6 Jun 1999 | West Virginia Charleston | Richmond Virginia |
| Buena Vista Virginia YSA Stake | 15 Apr 2012 | West Virginia Charleston | Richmond Virginia |
| Centreville Virginia Stake | 1 Feb 1976 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Chesapeake Virginia Stake | 17 Jan 1988 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Durham North Carolina Stake[a] | 3 May 1987 | North Carolina Raleigh | Raleigh North Carolina |
| Fredericksburg Virginia Stake | 26 Oct 1980 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Gainesville Virginia Stake | 11 Dec 2016 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Greensboro North Carolina Stake[a] | 13 Sep 1961 | North Carolina Charlotte | Raleigh North Carolina |
| Kingsport Tennessee Stake[a] | 13 Jan 1980 | Tennessee Knoxville | Columbia South Carolina |
| McLean Virginia Stake | 14 Feb 1982 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Mount Vernon Virginia Stake | 5 Jan 1986 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Newport News Virginia Stake | 12 Jun 1977 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Oakton Virginia | 3 Mar 1963 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Pembroke Virginia Stake | 14 May 1978 | West Virginia Charleston | Richmond Virginia |
| Richmond Virginia Stake | 30 Jun 1957 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Richmond Virginia Chesterfield Stake | 30 Oct 1983 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Richmond Virginia Midlothian Stake | 4 Dec 2005 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Roanoke Virginia Stake | 11 Jan 1970 | West Virginia Charleston | Richmond Virginia |
| Stafford Virginia Stake | 21 Aug 2016 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Virginia Beach Stake | 12 Apr 1964 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Washington DC YSA South Stake[b] | 4 Dec 2016 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
| Waynesboro Virginia Stake | 28 May 1978 | Virginia Richmond | Richmond Virginia |
| Winchester Virginia Stake | 22 May 1977 | Maryland Baltimore | Washington D.C. |
| Winston-Salem North Carolina Stake[a] | 20 Nov 1977 | North Carolina Charlotte | Raleigh North Carolina |
| Woodbridge Virginia Stake | 16 May 2004 | Washington DC South | Washington D.C. |
Missions
| Mission | Created | Mission office | Stakes in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Richmond Mission | October 26, 1947 | Richmond, VA | 6 |
| Washington D.C. South Mission | October 16, 1960 | Burke, VA | 7 |
| West Virginia Charleston Mission | Charleston, WV | 4 (of 7) | |
| Maryland Baltimore Mission | Ellicott City, MD | 1 (of 7) |
Temples
 |
|||
| Location: Announced: Groundbreaking: Dedicated: Size: Style: |
Glen Allen, Virginia, United States 1 April 2018 by Russell M. Nelson[11] 11 April 2020 by Randall K. Bennett[12] 7 May 2023 by Dallin H. Oaks[13] 39,202 sq ft (3,642.0 m2) on a 12-acre (4.9 ha) site Jeffersonian Doric order, single-spire - designed by Lanny Herron | ||
|
|
||
| Location: Announced: Size: |
Winchester, Virginia, United States 2 April 2023 by Russell M. Nelson[14][15] 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) on a 11.27-acre (4.56 ha) site | ||
|
|||
| Location: Announced: |
Roanoke, Virginia 1 October 2023 by Russell M. Nelson[16][17] | ||
See also
References
- ^ a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by State:Virginia", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 29 May 2023
- ^ Category:Virginia Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved April 11, 2022
- ^ "Adults in Virginia: Religious composition of adults in Virginia". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report". Thearda.com. Retrieved May 16, 2021. Note:While it's the seventh largest denomination in Virginia, it's the eighth largest denomination when "nondenominational" is considered as a denomination.
- ^ "Facts and Statistics", Church News, 2020. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
- ^ "New College in Virginia Offers Eastern Mormons a Choice", Los Angeles Times, 27 July 1996. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
- ^ Choi, Christy. "All the Single Mormons: Virginia Church Focuses on Finding a Mate", Time magazine, 30 May 2011. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
- ^ "Church reveals plans to build Mormon temple in Henrico". wtvr.com. WTVR. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ "The Washington D.C. Temple District", churchofjesuschristtemples.org, retrieved February 16, 2022
- ^ "Raleigh North Carolina Temple District", churchofjesuschristtemples.org, retrieved February 16, 2022
- ^ "Seven Temples Announced as April 2018 General Conference Closes: Mormon temples to be built in Asia, Europe, North and South America". Newsroom. LDS Church. 1 April 2018.
- ^ Groundbreaking Dates Announced for Temples in Virginia, the Philippines, and Utah
- ^ https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-dallin-h-oaks-dedicates-the-richmond-virginia-temple
- ^ Full summary of Sunday’s LDS General Conference: Nelson urges members to be peacemakers, announces 15 new temples, Salt Lake Tribune, 2 April 2023
- ^ "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 15 New Houses of the Lord", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2 April 2023
- ^ Where the 20 new Latter-day Saint temples will be built as Russell Nelson’s record tally continues to rise, Salt Lake Tribune, 1 October 2023
- ^ "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 20 New Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, 1 October 2023
External links
- Newsroom (Virginia)
- ComeUntoChrist.org Latter-day Saints visitor site
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints official site